& Look Great Doing It!
Pre holiday you’ve probably been on a strict health and fitness routine, preparing yourself to feel your most fabulous as soon as you whip on that bikini! The holiday is booked, and as it draws closer the gym sessions only get more frequent, and the health food obsession grows. But then, you arrive and the sun is shining, the food, oh wow. Tapas, Deep Fried Calamari, Triple Cooked Chips, Steak – you’re on holiday, right? I’ve definitely been known to claim that Holiday Calories don’t count. Well, sadly, they do! I am a full believer of enjoying a holiday to it’s absolutely maximum which means enjoying * all * the incredible food. So, in order to keep feeling and looking great, I like to include a watered down version of my fitness routine while away on holiday.
Make Fitness Fun
My absolute top tip is to find an unusual, fun and preferably adventurous way of increasing your heart rate. Most places that you travel to will have either a hill or mountain to climb, a beach to run on, a trekking route to follow. I love to make the most of these, it means you see more of the place that you’re visiting, and burn calories without even realising it! In South Africa, we left our hotel before sunrise to climb to the top of Lion’s Head and it was challenging but so incredibly rewarding to watch the sun rise from behind Table Mountain when we reached the summit. Equally in Lanzarote, one of the other bloggers on the trips was a yoga instructor (Wood & Luxe) and she offered us Yoga classes on the beach each morning, which I quickly accepted!
Often your hotel will organise yoga, water workouts, or other types of fitness classes, and many hotels have a fairly decent gym where you can replicate your at home workout. Make the most of it! Pack your cutest gym gear to inspire you to get your sweat on before you head to the beach.
Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
At a recent blogger event for the launch of Charlotte Olympia & Bodyism’s collaboration, we were shown exercises using a resistance band, and boy did they burn! I took the band with me on my next trip as it’s so minuscule and easy to pack, and watched a few YouTube videos to remind myself of the exercises. I was able to do this on the balcony, overlooking the ocean and enjoying the beautiful sea breeze – it was the best at home workout, ever! I also love a few fitness apps such as the 7 Minute Workout Plan – you can just open the app and repeat the circuit wherever you are in the world! I did this in Costa Rica on the beach between shoots on my last trip, I did it in the room in Lanzarote, and on the beach in South Africa! It’s almost becoming a fun challenge to see what amazing places I can complete the circuit!
Don’t Overindulge
I know, I know, I admit that I absolutely love to go wild with holiday food, but in all seriousness, don’t go crazy. I advise moderation when you indulge in those incredibly tasty treats; if there’s cheesecake on the desert menu, share it. You don’t have to ear the whole slice! If you want to enjoy steak, chips and mac n cheese in the evening, opt for a light lunch. I like to apply the 80/20 rule, where 20 percent of my daily intake is treat food of my choice, and then I’m relatively healthy for the other 80 percent. I think of calories like pocket money; there I save, the more I can spend when I really want to!
Don’t Drink your Calories!
I won’t preach too much on this subject because personally I hardly drink at all. One Strawberry Daiquiri at lunch time and I’m happy. My tip however would be to consider your poolside frozen Margarita as it could easily blog a huge portion of your daily calories! Instead, why not opt for a frozen fruit smoothie (equally, if not more refreshing!) and enjoy a low calorie drink like a white wine spritzer instead of a sugar filled cocktail!
What I Wore
Wow, there’s a lot of posing while looking into the distance in this post! But how fabulous are these ! They’re reversible with a more subtle black option on the other side, but still a hint of the palm print on the hem. They are available from today from Sweaty Betty, and the and are part of their core collection.
What are your top tips for staying healthy and keeping up your exercise routine on holiday?
xoxo
